Teaching Assistant (KS3-5)
Job Summary
Working Pattern:
Full time - term time
Advert Start Date:
20/10/2026
Advert End Date:
13/11/2026 12:00
Salary:
Grade E, SCP 8-11, £24,056 - £25,238 per annum actual (term time only) with a Level 3 TA qualification or equivalent experience. Grade D, SCP 6-7, £23,307 - £23,678 per annum actual (term time only) without. Rates from 1 April 2026, plus Special School Allowance £1,590 per annum pro rata.
Job Category:
Schools - Teaching Assistant
Employment Location:
High Heworth, Gateshead
Post Number:
SCH-CedAT-0012
Further Information
Our Teaching Assistants are at the heart of school life at Cedars Academy, an all-through specialist academy in Gateshead for children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans. You will help children and young people with complex needs feel safe, understood and ready to learn. No two days are quite the same, but the relationships you build can have a lasting impact.
You do not need to have worked in a school or hold a Teaching Assistant qualification. Experience from care, residential support, community work or supporting a family member is just as welcome. What matters most is your approach to young people, your willingness to learn and the care you bring. We would also love to hear from experienced and qualified Teaching Assistants.
You will work with young people in Key Stages 3, 4 and 5 at Cedars High Heworth as part of a supportive class team. We provide induction, training and mentoring, and support you to work towards Teaching Assistant qualifications.
Key duties:
• Build warm, trusting relationships so every child feels safe, valued and understood.
• Support a student-led curriculum where Preparation for Adulthood and access to the community are key to preparing young people for life beyond Cedars Academy.
• Act as a Key Person for a small number of learners and their families, being the first point of contact for the family.
• Support children to access learning, communicate with confidence and become as independent as possible.
• Respond calmly and consistently to individual learning, communication, sensory and emotional needs, including behaviour that may challenge.
• Support personal care, health and wellbeing with dignity and respect, following individual plans and training.
• Work closely with teachers and colleagues as part of the class team, and help prepare classrooms, outdoor areas and resources.
• Take an active part in school life, including educational visits, enrichment and daily routines.
• Take part in training, mentoring and professional development.
Person requirements.
Essential:
- experience of supporting, caring for or building positive relationships with others, from work, volunteering or personal life;
- warm, caring and patient, with real enthusiasm for supporting children and young people;
- calm, resilient and adaptable, able to work independently and as part of a team; good communication, literacy and numeracy for the role;
- understanding of the importance of safeguarding, inclusion and professional boundaries; willingness to learn about SEND through training.
Desirable:
- Teaching Assistant qualification, Level 2 or 3, Level 3 childcare or other relevant training;
- Level 2 English and maths, GCSE grade 4 or C or Functional Skills;
- experience in education, care or residential settings, or of supporting children with SEND;
- knowledge of child development, sensory and emotional regulation or relational practice;
- experience of working with young people in a secondary, post-16 or community setting.
Salary and hours:
Grade E, SCP 8 to 11, 24,056 to 25,238 pounds per annum if you hold a Level 3 Teaching Assistant qualification or have equivalent experience.
Grade D, SCP 6 to 7, 23,307 to 23,678 pounds per annum if you do not.
Salaries are actual, for term-time-only working, at rates from 1 April 2026
All posts also receive the Special School Allowance of 1,590 pounds per annum, pro rata to term time only.
Full time, term time only, 37 hours per week, 195 days
Permanent
Start December 2026, or as soon as possible.
Keeping children safe
Cedars Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment procedures, including satisfactory references, an Enhanced DBS check with barred list clearance for children, online searches, and completion of safeguarding training. Any offer is subject to right-to-work checks and a health questionnaire. Cedars is an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer and will shortlist for interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria for the role.
How to apply:
Apply online at via the Apply Now button where the full job description and person specification can be downloaded.
If you would like more information or to arrange a visit, please email Dan Hearne, Deputy Headteacher, at daniel.hearne@cedarstrust.org.uk or Gareth Kyle, Academy Business Leader, at gareth.kyle@cedarstrust.org.uk
Closing date: Friday 13 November 2026, 12 noon
Interviews: Tuesday 24 November 2026
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications, so please apply early.